The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-17
GOLD, SHINING GOLD l.
THE METAL THATSrARTED THE
EXCITEMENT
Now Bottled Up and safely Kept
at the National Museum-A
Talk with an Argenaut.
fWashin ston Critic. |

/ '"-'HsassSh Nsshesi
The original cause of the great
California gold fever--the first fever
germ-is at the National Museum.
Ii is securely sealed in a little glass
bottle, and there is no longer any
danger Of contagion. 1t is a little
flattened piece Of gold about the size
ola gold dollar. 1t is the piece
found by Marshall while digging a
millraoe the year before the fever set
in. Ii was sent direct to the Smith
sonian in August 1848. The fol-
lowing is a copy Of theletter that
accompanies it:
Sac PRAscisoo August %, 1913.
This paper contains the first piece
of gold ever discovered 10 the north
ern part Of Upper California. 1t
was found in February, 1849, by
James w. Marshall, in the race Of
Capt. John A. Suffers saw mill
about iorty-6ve miles from Suffers
Fork on the south branch Of the
American Fork. II was beaten out
with hammer by Mr.. Marshall TO
test It's malleability. 1t is presented
to the National Institute, Washing
ton, ID. O. J. L. FOLSOM.
J. l.. Folsom was a captain in the
United States service. There are
many pieces Of gold in California
claiming to be the first found, but
none Of them have the facts in favor
Of their claim. The discovery Of
this piece Of gold by Marshall led to
the search for more and it vas found.
1t was the seed that up TO 1880 had
produced u, 200,000,0O0 in gold.
Prior TO this discovery, Italians and
few missionary priests had been
collecting some gold in other parts OF
the State, but this was the very first
piece found in the cold belt, and it
led to the great rush to California in
1849.
| DIR. r. NJ. Dawes, the dentist OF
West Washington, was one Of the
forty miners who started out from
Washington. He WAS talking over
the matter with Star reporter for
little while last evening.
"A party Of US" he said, took a
sailing vessel in Baltimore 10 March,
and we we're seven months and four.
teen days making the trip to San
Francisco. There we're my brother
and ex Senator Sargent, then q local
reporter in Washington, one or two
other Washington boys and myself,
and there we're quite a number Of
Others from Baltimore TO make up
the party. That was the way Sargent
first went to the State he afterward
represented in the Senate. We had q
pretty hard voyage. The cap
tain Of the vessel treated US so badly
that when we got TO Rio de Japeiro
We complained to the consul aud b I'D
him removed. This caused q delay
Of fourteen days. Then at Valpa.
raise wc had TO unload steam en-
gine aud other cargo, which caused
a delay OF twenty days more. IL was
a weary voyage before We got TO Saa
Francisco. Sargent did not 20 al
the way with US. He got of at Val,
paraiso, and from there sailed to Sar
Francisco in another vessel. re-
. member that he studied Spanish al
! the way from Baltimore to Rio d,
J Janeiro.
when We arrived at San Fran
cisco several Of our party who wer,
carpenters. stopped there. They go
7 GIG day for working at their trad
there, and thought il better than tax
ing the chances in the mines. Their,
we're six In my party who went int,
prospecting. Everything was ieve
, and excitement there then. All sort
, Of sensational reports Of big find
were circulated but there was no
AZ much outlawry as many pco
! pie suppose. In San Francisco Their,
: was considerable gambling. Il wa
/ not much OF a city then. All tn,
! buildings we're frame, and the gam
bling houses wore like the frame bar
, racks they put up for soldiers. Tn,
gaming rooms were in front aud tn,
/. bar in the rear. Gamblers woul,
! pay $50 a night for each table. The.
2 never counted the money, but jus
stacked il up on the table and meas
ured IL 10 that way. The gambler
,, we're the only men who wore whit
shirts.
There we're no courts. II maj
, committed an odeLse in the digging
: he was tried by twelve men selecte'
for the occasion, and their decision
: were prompt and just. For that rea
: son there we're few crimes committed
B Our gold was left in camp withou
. anyone 10 guard IL, aud IL was neve
stolen. | would sometimes leave
: days diggings in 4 pan out in the su
I 10 dry. No one ever disturbed II
Z For serious crimes the jury OF twely
D would hang q man; for petty larceny
' they would horsewhip him and Civ
. him twenty four hours 10 get out q
! camp. II man sunk q pit and thre'
a pick or shovel in IL, he could 70 o
. prospecting. and II he returned an
: time within ton days he would en-
!, his claim 10 the diggings respected.
= when our party landed" he con
tinued, we went 10 Sacrament,
a whore We got three yoke Of oxen an
I a wagon that had como overland an
!, started for the diggings, we'll Stoke
!. with provisions. We went first
South Fork. then 20 North Fork O
}. Feather river. Thore was 80 muo
e mud that we had 10 abandon gu
II cattle aud wagons and carry on
q packs on our bacss. We did prett
y we'll, but | was sick aud had TO kee
q out OF the trenches and give up min
: ing for awhile. When We dissolve
partnership OF North Fork q sack {
A four fell 10 my share aud | sold Il Il
. 800. | then bought boat and gu
!. and shot quail aud jack rabbits an
y sold them in San Francisco. Qua
4 brought " and - per dozen dea.
!. and tl2 alive. aud jack raj
!. bits "a aud * each. Tho secou
v time went back TO San francisC
= the cholera was raging there. Nc
{ wore dropping dead like sheep.
II II went TO the digeings again, an
q we came across 4 big rock near Mi.
a die Fork standing hieh out OF n